The Wait
by helencheddar
Summary: Scenes about Odysseus and Penelope that they skipped over in the Odyssey.  How the two met, what Penelope did while Odysseus was gone, and what happened after the story ended.
1. The Night in Sparta

A/N: **Yes, I am aware that this is NOT historically accurate. I never meant for it to be. I wanted their meeting to be different from all the other stories out there, and didn't want the marriage to be arranged because it just didn't feel that way in the story. I'm not incredibly proud of this story so please don't be too harsh with the comments. **

The moon shone full over the vast, uncharted sea, and the sky was clear and full of stars. They winked at me. I was weak, and could barely move. So I lay on the raft, staring up at the sky. I was too weary to fear for my safety, knowing that there was nothing but ocean surrounding me. I was tired of the fear that seemed to follow my men and me wherever we would go.  
>A shooting star flew past the moon and down to the earth, surely some sign from the gods. It reminded me of that night in Sparta long ago.<p>

Tyndareus had summoned me to Sparta, I didn't know exactly why. He had never told me anything, only to come to his palace to speak with him. That happened to be the night that the many suitors had come to woo fair Helen. There was laughter, feasting, drinking, and dancing. I had been invited to join the festivities, and still hadn't caught sight of Tyndareus. Helen, with her golden hair and impossibly beautiful face, had had more than enough wine and was giggling giddily and dancing with one suitor after another before crashing into me.  
>"Woah," she screamed, laughing drunkenly, "I like this one," she said, slapping me on the back, "Father I LIKE THIS ONE."<br>"You must be mistaken, I am not a suitor," I mumbled, she was beautiful, but I was weary of my travels.  
>"Here, Pene *hiccup* Penelope, take this one, he's mad anyway. Maybe he'll like YOU," she said, shoving me toward a woman in the corner who looked as though she were about to leave.<br>She was weak, and even weaker when drunk, and only sent me a few feet before I steadied myself. I turned to the woman she called Penelope.  
>"Forgive me, I didn't realize your cousin was this-"<br>"Father, I like this one!" she screamed, putting her arm around another equally drunk suitor.  
>"-intoxicated."<br>She smiled and raised an eyebrow, "I wouldn't worry, she likes that one," she said, laughing lightly. She nodded to me, looked around the room, and walked quickly out the door before breaking into a run.  
>I was intrigued by her, and, seeing as Tyndareus was nowhere to be found, walked out after her.<br>The backdoor led to stone steps leading down to the beach. The waves crashed onto the shore. It looked vacant. I looked around, wondering where this mysterious Penelope had gone.  
>I walked out hesitantly, seeing no one on the shore. It was beautiful with white sand that glowed in the moonlight. I kept walking, the waves touching my feet, until I felt something suddenly beneath me and tripped, falling headfirst with a splash.<br>"Oh. Forgive me, I didn't see you there," said a strong but gentle voice. I got up.  
>And there she was. I hadn't gotten a good look at her until then. Her dark, curly hair was wet and tangled. She had skin as pale as the sand beneath her, and she was tall and slim like Artemis. But what had transfixed me were her eyes. They were the color of the sea and seemed almost as deep. They seemed to spin like whirlpools if you looked at them too long.<br>"No harm done," I said. She was half submerged in water, the rest of her robes billowing beneath the calm evening tides. If she were to lay down only her face wouldn't be underwater.  
>"Penelope," she said, reaching out to shake my hand. Never before had a woman done so, it was unnerving, but not quite unpleasant. Her hand was cool and soft, with long dainty fingers.<br>"Odysseus, son of Laertes, King of Ithaka," I said. For some reason the title seemed silly in her presence. She seemed so informal.  
>She turned bright red, and she fell into a bow.<br>"I'm sorry your highness. I didn't realize. I though you were just one of the-"  
>"Nonsense. Get up, child. I am but a stranger here."<br>She bit her lower lip, a habit which I would later come to endear, and still looked at me with fearful eyes.  
>"Did you hear me, I told you it was fine. I am no King in Sparta."<br>I knew what I had just said was not true, but it seemed to work, because she quickly calmed down.  
>"You said you were called Penelope. Are you a friend of Helen's?"<br>"I am her cousin," she said, "My father sent me to live with her. He said it would help me..." she stopped, "I suppose you don't care about why I'm here. I should silence myself. I forget my place," she said cautiously, but not without a hint of sarcasm and malice. She had been trained to say that. "There are fresh cloaks inside. I'm sorry for tripping you. My eyes were closed and the waves didn't let me hear your arrival. But it was nice meeting you all the same," she said, expecting me to leave.  
>Before I could say a word in reply she lay back down. Her hair splayed about her, and only her clear, pale face peeked out from beneath the sea. She thought I was gone. I sat there for a while, knowing not what to do or say. I knew not what she was doing, or why. She let go of the sand, her bare, pale arms freely floating in the sea, and she began to drift outward and inward with the waves. She opened her eyes and stared up at the moon, still oblivious to my presence. She smiled again. Never before had I seen anyone more at peace than she was at that moment. She smiled and let the sea carry her, not caring where she was headed. A few moments later a large wave enveloped her and sent her tumbling, head over heels, onto the shore. The tides were changing. She opened her large eyes wide again, and fear instantly overcame her when she saw that I was still there. She was too afraid to notice that another, equally huge wave was about to send her back out again. I hastily yanked her out as the wave crashed over her,pulling her towards me and away from the increasingly violent sea. There was a silent, awkward closeness. Our eyes met. I could see her pupils dilate and contract. She trembled and gently let go of my arm.<br>"Forgive me, sire. I am nothing but a worthless fool," she looked down, "I should know by now not to act in this way in the presence of a King. Please keep out of mind whatever it was that I was doing. They disregard me as a madwoman anyway."  
>She seemed unreal. This bizarre, beautiful woman walked away, unsure exactly of what to do, her head cast down in shame.<br>"Penelope."  
>She turned around, almost surprised that I remembered her name. It was unusual, I would grant it that. Certainly it would be difficult for a drunkard to say, and I was surprised Helen hadn't botched it more than she did.<br>"Penelope," I repeated, slowly. The name was growing on me, "What are you so very ashamed of. I see nothing wrong with... whatever it was you were doing, whether you were aware of my presence or not. It was... intriguing," I said, somewhat at a loss for words.  
>"That's one way to put it," she said, laughing without humor. Her voice seemed wise beyond her years.<br>"Why do you fear me?"  
>"Because I am taught to. Forgive me if it is unsettling, I know not what else to do."<br>"There is nothing to forgive. I don't see why you are so ashamed of yourself."  
>"I ought to be. That's what they tell me every day. Helen..." she drifted off, fearing that she said too much.<br>"Helen is a silly young girl, not really of a marriagable age. I laugh to think that Tyndareus was so urgent to get her suitors."  
>"I know not how these things work in Ithaka, but here in Sparta the likes of her are the perfect age for marriage. When they are old enough to lust, but not old enough to see that it is different from love. I am old enough to know such things, so I am a lost cause."<br>She surely was wise beyond her years, yet she was ashamed of this wisdom. She was strange, but that strangeness just drew me in.  
>I smiled, stepping toward her, "I would not say so."<br>"Well, you are not my uncle." She looked up at me, "Where do you get these notions?"  
>"I would ask the same of you. What was it that you were doing, when you though that I was gone?"<br>"I don't rightly know. I just needed to get out of that grand hall. The practice of suitors sickens me so, unless of course, you are planning on wooing Helen," she said, cautiously.  
>"I have no intention of that. As I said, she is much too young."<br>"She is 13. Still a girl. They don't desire to marry women, they know too much. But the feasting was so loud, and the suitors only looked upon me as though I were something to be thrown away. Only I stood between them and Helen. So I fled when I had the chance. The sea drowns out all thought and allows on to just... be. It carries you, no longer requiring you to stay where you are not wanted. I've been needing that for a long time."  
>She became wary of her talking, and looked at me cautiously, once again biting her lower lip. Her nervousness looked trained, and I knew she had a desire to go on. To speak to me as though we were equals<p>

"I told you before, you need not fear me. Why is it that you hide from me?"

After a while she told me why. We sat on the sand and let the waves crash at our feet, and the

night trudged on, the raucous feasting gradually fading away.  
>"My father sent me here nearly a year ago, telling me that it was to learn from Helen and to marry off, though he knew I was a lost cause. I believe he really just desired to be rid of me. He never liked me, and since mother died he had less tolerance of me than before. Helen tries to befriend me, but finds that she cannot seem to grasp why I am the way I am. Uncle gave up on me long ago. And so I do as I please, trying to care for Helen who is truly still a child as you said. I am told to fear the likes of you. It only 'lessens my chances'. But you and I know that these 'chances' he spoke of never existed. If I am to be alone forever, so be it. The gods know what they want from me, and I have yet to find out. So what brings you here from far off Ithaka, if you are not, in fact, pursuing fair Helen?"<br>"I do not rightly know. Your Uncle summoned me here for unknown causes. I hope that it is not talk of war, for I am weary from it."  
>"I warn you, he will do anything in his power to ensure that Helen is wed to a man of importance, do not think you are not in the running just yet."<br>"I do not desire to marry Helen, however beautiful she may be. She is a child, and I seek a woman."  
>Neither of us knew quite yet that I would find one.<p>

I couldn't help but smile, thinking of our first meeing. She was as cunningas I, but in a different way. She preferred to suffer through things, rather than to find a way around them as I did. I supposed that she was more righteous in that way. I hated to admit it, but she probably made a better king than I did. I could only cringe at the thought of the state she was in now, fending off countless suitors every day. But she was stonger than me in spirit, and was probably managing as best she could. It seemed almost funny that she'd never expected to have suitors at all. They were surely vulgar men, at least I hoped they would be. I didn't want any of them to surpass me, and the very thought of it tied my stomach in a knot. She was so far away from me now...


	2. The Suitor and the Sea

Night fell as Penelope walked away from the palace. She needed to stop thinking so much. She missed Odysseus so much it hurt. She knew she ought to pick a suitor and let it rest. Either he had perished at sea or simply did not desire to come home. She couldn't blame him. Beautiful nymphs lay in wait along the way, that surely surpassed her in every way. She wept silent tears as she walked on through the countryside as the crickets chirped.  
>She slipped off her sandals and left bare footprints in the sand. The waves were gentle that night, just as they were when she stepped out of the Spartan palace so many years ago. She lay in the sand and let the waves carry her. She heard nothing but the gentle movements of the ocean, and saw nothing but the night sky. She drifted out. She wished that the sea would carry her away from this mess, out to the vast unknown where Odysseus wandered. She almost envied him. He was unknown, therefore free to do as he pleased. She had a feeling he was alive, but somehow felt that he didn't want to come home. Tears still fell from her eyes, mixing with the cold water. She hadn't done this in years, and never realized how peaceful she could feel. The water caressed and numbed her and she finally found the strength to smile. She closed her eyes once more, and Ithaca disappeared. It was only her and the sea.<p>

"Hey, it's Pele- penelel- pelenope! What're you doing out here girlie?"

It was Cacius, one of the suitors.

She wished she could ignore him but knew he would only take advantage of her passiveness. She rose from the water.

"Have you finally decided to be a fool somewhere other than my palace?"

He stumbled toward her as she emerged from the sea. She was much taller than him, and at this

point was probably stronger, so she did not fear him.  
>"Why don't you shut your mouth, girlie?" he slurred. He was a slovenly shadow of what may have once been a man.<br>She stopped before him, no expression on her face. She didn't show any emotion to him. He did not deserve her anger.  
>He stumbled forward and fell into her breast. She yanked him away.<br>"Oh, come off it girlie. Have some fun." He clutched at her dress. She tugged it out of his hands.  
>"You going to keep those pretty legs crossed another hundred years? He's dead, girlie."<br>She yanked him by the collar and pulled him up to her face,  
>"It won't be difficult seeing as my only alternative would be giving myself to scoundrels like you," she said, quietly but firmly, and threw him to the ground.<br>"Well you're not such a looker yourself, girlie. Be glad _someone _wants you. No wonder he won't come home to _you. _I sure as hell wouldn't."  
>His words felt like a blow to her stomach. This sorry, drunk little man had managed to find her one weakness and run with it. She left without a word, taking slow, measured steps until she was out of his sight, then running the rest of the way back to the palace, tears once again springing from her eyes.<br>This would never end.


	3. Tyndareus

I wondered what she looked like now. When I left she was nearly 20, and still glowed with youth. I was sure she was still as beautiful as ever, but it left me curious. I was still not nearing land and the sea still tossed me. So I continued on, unsure of what I should do.

The feasting and merriment went on through the next day. I walked into the hall once again, to find that the suitors had returned once again, with more wine. I saw Penelope, looking fearfully at her cousin, prepared to protect her from any suitor that went too far. But Helen seemed to be enjoying the attention. I caught no sight of Tyndareus, so I approached Penelope.

"Hello, Penelope. Any more apologies for nothing in particular you'd like to address."

"I no longer fear you. I never really did. And I won't take mockery from you, King or no."

"Forgive me, fair Penelope," I said sarcastically, "I don't know my place."

I swept into a bow. She shoved me playfully.

"I'll have no more mockery," she said, "and how do you call me fair?"

"I do not know what you mean."

"How do you call me fair when I am far from it?"

A drunken suitor staggered up to her, "I don't now, Herodes, with a little more wine, she's all right," he slurred, calling over to his friend.

Herodes looked at her, "I don't know, Galenos. More like a lot more wine."

"Hey, Pelenenope, whose your friend?" said Helen, obviously more intoxicated than the night before.

"I'm the one you crashed into last night," I said, annoyed with her constant drunkenness.

"Oh yeah... he's crazy Pelene- hey how does that name go again?"

"They get it wrong all the time. It's almost funny," she whispered to me.

"Try saying Odysseus with a few more glasses of wine."

"True," she said, looking up at me, "Do you want to get out of here? Because I'm leaving this madhouse."

I nodded gratefully and followed her out.

"Hey, wait Pene- whatever. You're getting prettier with every drink," said a suitor.

"Just give us a couple more bottles."

She slammed the door behind her.

She looked at me with the utmost serious before bursting into raucous laughter. It was a loud laugh, but not unpleasant.

"Does this happen often?" I asked her.

"It's happened nearly every night so far. One went as far as to confuse me for Helen. It was flattering, but VERY uncomfortable."

"You seem to be good at fending off drunks."

"Thank you?"

She looked at me as if she were thinking of something.

"How tall are you?" she asked.

"I don't remember."

"It's just that you are one of the few people I've seen in a long while that may surpass me in height. That's part of the reason why no suitor will ever lay eyes on me. It bothers them that a woman could be taller than them."

She came very close to me, our faces less than an inch apart. My heart beat faster than ever. She was even more beautiful up close, and it took all my self control to stand completely still as she looked up. Our eyes met, and once again her pupils dilated then contracted. After what seemed like the longest few moments, she slowly stepped back, blushing.

"Just as I suspected, you ARE taller than me," she said quietly.

This went on for nearly ten days. I would awake and catch not even a glimpse of Tyndareus, and leave the hall full of drunken suitors with Penelope. She never ceased to amaze me. For such a strong woman, she had a very low level of self worth. Her uncle and cousin insisted that she was hopeless, and she began to believe them. She saw things in a different light, a trait that would intimidate most men, but left me wanting more.

At last a morning came when I walked into the hall and didn't see Penelope. I went up to Helen, who was at the moment on one of the suitors' laps, giggling like an idiot.

"Where is Penelope?"

She hiccuped, "I don't know. She should be here with the wine. Menelaus, have you seen her?"

He shook his head.

"What do you mean she should be here with the wine."

"Well she _is _a slave now. She ought to act like one."

"Wait, did you just say she was a slave? What are you talking about? The wine has surely gone to you head if you think that-"

"-No. She is right."

I turned around to see Penelope look directly into my eyes before stealing out the door before anyone could stop her. I ran out after her.

"Penelope!" I shouted at her fleeting form. She stopped and turned around.  
>"Odysseus, leave me be. I know you mean well but I do not need your pity."<br>She had dark circles under her eyes, indicating that she had been crying all night, and was dressed in a shabby, formless gray frock that was given to their slaves. Nevertheless she was still beautiful.  
>"What happened to you," I said, looking her up and down.<p>

She sighed, biting her lower lip. "Is it not obvious? I am no longer wanted. I should have known long before that this would happen. They finally gave up and decided that my only use to them was as a slave. I suppose that is my only use to anyone."

I could only watch her in silence. It took a few moments before I could say anything.  
>"To where do you plan to fly?"<p>

"I know not. Just... away from here. I leave my fate to the gods and the sea. They will either take me to a land where no one knows my name, where I can begin again, or else Artemis will come and lead me to the afterlife. I pray for either, though the choice is not mine to make. I only hope they are swift and merciful."

I knew not what to say. I simply stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, a million thoughts running through my mind. What would I say? A simple no would not suffice for her, she was too headstrong for that. What was one supposed to say when the woman he loved basically told him her method of suicide? It was not something a future king felt the need to know. My mind was filled with nothing but the feeling of panic. Logic and words escaped me. So I abandoned them, throwing caution to the wind.

I kissed her.

And all the tension of the past ten days with her seemed to be released. My shock was transferred to her. She stood stock still for a moment, surely not registering what was happening. But soon she returned the favor, wrapping her arms around my neck. I ran my fingers through her hair. It was tangled, but still was pleasing to the touch. Then I released her, fearful of her reaction.

"... What? What was that?" she said, so quietly it was almost a whisper.

"I love you."

She looked down at the ground and bit her lip. She could only nod in reply.

I kissed her again, growing more confident. I didn't want to let her go, for fear of what she would do. She was so tense, as though she were going to explode any second, and I was the only thing keeping her from it. That only gave me an excuse to hold her tighter. She began to gradually relax until she went nearly limp in my arms. After a while we reluctantly broke apart. She smiled. I think that is what I miss most of all about her. It made her whole face light up, and was incredibly contagious. It was a shame that she didn't smile more often...

Suddenly the tension returned, and fear filled her eyes. I saw a figure walking up to her from behind, and judging from her expression, she knew exactly who it was.

Tyndareus.

"Odysseus, my boy," he said jovially, "How do you fare."

"I have been better," I said coldly. I had only disdain for him now.

"I see you've met Penelope. She is one of my servants, who should be _working!"_ he said, his voice turning icy as he glanced at her. "Well, go on," he said, shooing her toward the back door of the palace.

I watched painfully as she walked away, glancing back at me before walking on, keeping her head down.

"_I'll be back," _ I whispered to her. She nodded faintly and kept walking, still looking at the ground.

I dropped all pretense, "Why did you summon me here and wait ten days to finally speak to me?"

"I will explain this all to you, and you will be so amused by my cleverness. I'm surprised you haven't figured it out by now, Great Tactician. Come now, there is much to be said," he said, beckoning towards the door.

I followed him warily into the palace, all the while thinking only of her.


	4. Spartan Weddings

The full moon shone across the Ithacan landscape. The sky was dark and deep and the stars went off into oblivion. Penelope looked up at the sturdy trunk of the tree standing before her. She hadn't climbed one in years, and had always had a natural talent for it. She swung onto the first branch, landing lightly, and made her way up until she was at the highest she could go. She hugged the trunk for balance and stared out into the vast empty night. She'd been needing a hiding place for a long time, and wondered why she hadn't thought of this sooner. Cacius was stumbling home beneath her. He didn't bother to look up. She smiled, knowing they would never find her.

Her kingdom seemed so vast, yet utterly insignificant as she looked out. Odysseus had left her the title of king, but king of what? Of a land half empty from the casualties of foreign wars. A land where no one acknowledged their king as anything more than something to be bought over and used to boost their own power.

"Some king I am," she said to herself, "Hiding from my own subjects."

But she knew the truth of the matter. All attempts at ridding herself of the suitors were fruitless. Every time she sent one away, two new suitors would come, and so on. She had always hated the practice of suitors. They never wanted the woman they were to woo, only what she owned. They certainly didn't want her. A woman nearly twice their age. She never thought herself very pretty to begin with, and it only worsened with age and loneliness.

It was at these moments that her mind seemed to be a little Olympus all it's own. And the gods within her mind argued day and night, never giving her a moment's peace.

_"Odysseus will be coming any minute now, I can feel it!" Aphrodite would say._

_ "No he isn't_. _He's probably dead, if not off at some island, ravishing a sea nymph. He's a lecherous, dishonest man," Hera would reply._

_ "But even so it's you that he loves, Penelope. You are his only thought!" Aphrodite would retort._

_ "Keep your kingdom, Penelope. For it truly is yours now. You are their king, and there is no need for a husband to stand in your way," Hera said, trying to look on the bright side of things._

_ "Ah, but the suitors are becoming restless. Reap the benefits while you're still desirable," said Demeter._

_ "Now, now, the best thing to do is exactly what you have been. A sturdy rock can bear all storms," said Hestia._

They would go on like this in her mind, and she would only observe. Rarely did they agree, though they helped her make some of the best and worst decisions of her reign, and of her life.

She shook her head and her little Olympus faded away. She was in no mood to argue with herself, though she did so constantly. She always questioned why he'd ever managed to love her. She tried not to think about it, but of course never succeeded. It wasn't that she was terribly ugly or unpleasant, but just bizarre. That was why no one had ever loved her before or since. She had no interest in normal things like suitors and power. It was thrust upon her and she did the best she could with it. It had been many years since Odysseus left, and by then she'd ruled Ithaca longer than he had, though no one thought of her as their king. Still, she didn't want this absolute power that all the suitors lusted after. She just wanted him home...

She felt a rustling beneath her and held onto the branch fearfully. She looked down to see someone duck beneath the branch.

"Penelope?" came an unfamiliar voice.

She looked down in shock. Someone had found her.

"Penelope?" came the voice again.

She sighed, "Yes?"

"Oh, it is you. What are you doing up there?"

She was taken aback. The voice was gentle and innocent, unlike the other suitors.

"Has someone sent you here?"

"No, but you still haven't answered me..." he said nervously.

"I am here to avoid men like you. Apparently I've failed in doing that."

"Sorry I guess... would you mind if I came up there... I was actually trying to do the same thing."

She shrugged, "I suppose it doesn't matter."

He climbed up, albeit clumsily, and sat on a branch near her.

"I suppose you think this gives you leverage in the situation. Well it doesn't. You are a child as are they."

"Sorry, your majesty."

He was the only one to call her that. He must have been younger than Telemakhos. He still had no facial hair and didn't seem to be drunk.

She looked away from him and back out at the sky. He was odd and almost reminded her of herself when she was his age. Always mindful of people, though you could tell what they were really thinking behind the polite facade. Seeing a young man next to her, she remembered the first time she had ever scaled this tree fourteen years ago...

Dawn came early that morning and the dew made the air cold and humid. Penelope shivered in her thin slave's frock. It was the only thing she owned at that point except a wedding dress, and the morning chilled her. She sat at the highest branch of the tallest tree she could find near the palace and looked out at what would be her new kingdom.

It frightened her, all of it. She was a slave, after all, and for a slave to become a queen was nearly impossible. She'd been told all her life to not get her hopes up, and to be grateful for whatever suitors she received. But no one had ever told her what to do if things did go your way, and it scared her. She wasn't meant to be queen. The gods would surely seek vengeance. Not to mention the fact that her father and family had never agreed to the wedding, making it unofficial. That scared her too. Who knew what the gods would do to them as a result. The cold wind whipped in her hair and sent a shiver down her spine and she leaned against the tree's strong trunk.

She sat there for a while, staring off into space, trying not to think, when she felt the tree rustling as though someone were about to climb up.

"Penelope?"

She looked down to see Odysseus looking up at her, confused.

"Oh... hello..." she said distantly.

"How did you get up there?"

"Climbed. How else would I get up here?"

He smiled, "Well," he said, beginning to climb up after her, "I'm impressed."

She wanted to respond, but just nodded slightly and stared off into the distance again.

"Are you all right?" he asked, nearing her.

She looked down at her lap. Her ratty slave's clothing only reminded her of her place. She shook her head. She felt as though she were about to shatter into a million pieces. She couldn't look at him.

He finally reached the branch next to her. He looked her up and down slowly before speaking again.

"I can't wait until we can burn that dress."

She laughed without humor and looked down again at the rough fabric. It barely reached her knees and was made of the same rough scratchy material they made bags out of. She bit her lip. She was no queen.

"Of course, I'd get rid of it right now but I'm sure you'd object," he said, winking.

She gave him a teasing glare and rolled her eyes.

"You wish," she said, all too quietly. She kept looking out at the horizon, not wanting to meet his gaze. Tension ran through her very core. She shuddered again, but this time it was not the cold. She sighed, "Why do you wish to make me queen?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've practically said it yourself," she said, gesturing to her attire, "Once a slave, always a slave. I'm sure the gods would be furious if Ithaca had a slave ruling them... or the child of a slave for that matter."

"Penelope, you are no slave-"

"Then what am I?" she snapped, "If I am not a slave, but not a queen. I have no land or title to offer you. My father practically disowned me. I have no family ties. No money. And certainly nothing to look at-"

He began to laugh. "And you think I want any of that?"

"Well... of course..."

He reached around the thin trunk of the tree and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her toward him. She was shocked to find no branch beneath her feet, and her heart fell down to her stomach. She was going to fall...

But she didn't. He was unwavering, and he kissed her until once again the tension bottled up inside her released. After a while he gently placed her on the branch next to him.

"You're mine. That's all that matters."

She smiled.

"It's funny. I never thought I'd be taken, let alone _won."_

"What?"

"Oh, do they not do that in Ithaca?"

He shook his head, perplexed.

"In Sparta, unless you are as powerful and desirable as Helen, you don't receive suitors. If you agree to marry a man, you're won. Everyone wants to be won, but almost no one is. Instead you're taken..."

His eyes widened, "Meaning..."

"If a woman does not agree to marry a man, they fight. If he wins, he gets to keep her, but if he loses, he remains single and ashamed. We're trained for years just for that fight. And of course, then comes the wedding..."

She suddenly froze, looking straight ahead with fear and anxiety in her eyes, "The wedding..." she said quietly, distantly.

"Penelope," he said, grabbing her arm, fearing she was about to fall off.

"How could I forget..." she said, still more distant.

"Forget what?"

She gulped, "But, I suppose I am a Spartan, and must be brave about this," she ran her fingers through her long, dark hair, "I'm going to miss you," she said, unsure of whether she was talking to him or her hair.

"What?"

"Well, I'm going to lose my hair, then you. So obviously I'm going to miss them both..."

"Wait, what are you talking about? What do they _do _in Sparta, after you're won?"

"The usual ritual... I am to be shaved and dressed as a man, and thrown into a dark room. You are to then have your way with me and then leave to go off to war for many years..."

He looked at her, shocked, "Is that what they do in Sparta?"

"Well... of course... don't you do the same in Ithaca?"

He shook his head incredulously, unable to speak.

"And of course I am afraid. What kind of king would I make once you leave, since there is no other king to take your place? In Sparta we have two, for this situation. I suppose I am the second one?" she asked.

"Penelope. You will hopefully never have to take my place. There is no war going on. I am not needed. And as for your femininity you keep it. What a violent wedding ritual."

"We are a violent people. A society of warriors. That is why they didn't like me. I am too peaceful a woman for their tastes. But of course I am a savage compared to the women of here, and of the mainland. So... you're not going to leave me for years, as the Spartan men do?"

"Penelope, I will be here always," he said.

Penelope cringed as she remembered his words, and how ironic their whole union turned out to be. The gods had truly forsaken them. She'd known it all along. Their unofficial marriage angered Hera, the most wrathful goddess, and as a result Penelope was being punished. She awoke from her reverie to the sound of the raucous suitors drunkenly singing. The young man had climbed down by now, and the sky was very dark. She shivered in the cold, never feeling more alone than at that moment. Wearily and reluctantly she climbed down, knowing that no one would be there for her when she reached the ground.


	5. Out of Sparta

I remembered my conversation with Tyndareus like it was yesterday. It played back in my head without the need to recall.  
>He led me to his study.<br>"Please, sit down," he said. I complied without a word, still glaring at him. But he didn't seem to notice. He was too giddily wrapped up in whatever he had to say.  
>"I suppose you've guessed already why I've summoned you here," he said.<br>I shook my head, not bothering to change my expression. I had nothing but malice for him.  
>"I'm surprised. A great and cunning man such as yourself would have figured it out by now. Ah well I guess love is very distant from the battlefield," he said, smirking.<br>"What?"  
>"As you may have noticed, my lovely daughter Helen is of a marriageable age. And a great many suitors have come to claim her."<br>"I may have noticed," I said dryly.  
>"Well, personally, I don't see a single potential heir in the bunch. They are all much too crude and aren't of the esteem worthy of a princess. But you, on the other hand..." he said slyly.<br>"What?"  
>"Let me be frank. I sent you here to woo Helen. I assumed you would eventually become aware of my intentions."<br>"Are you telling me you sent me across the sea, leaving behind my country and my people, just to set me up with your little daughter?" I shouted, getting angrier by the second.  
>"Well, she is beautiful."<br>"And nearly ten years my junior! She is a child!"  
>"She is my only heir."<br>I was puzzled,  
>"But what about your niece, Penelope?"<br>"You mean the slave girl? She is no niece of mine..." he said, with disdain.  
>As soon as he said those words, I was about to become furious, when suddenly, an idea came to me.<br>"Are you saying that you've disowned her?"  
>"Of course. The little wench has given us nothing but grief. She has no chances with any man, and therefore provides me with little opportunity of advancement. Why do you care so much?"<br>"Never you mind my reasons. You sent me miles and miles from my home, and are now suggesting I marry a thirteen year old girl?"  
>"That isn't out of the ordinary, at least not here, King Odysseus. I just assumed that a man such as you is worthy of the best. And my daughter is the best."<br>"Your daughter is drunk downstairs at the moment, and she seems to have already selected a suitor. Besides, I am planning to wed someone else, as it so happens."  
>"You are? Well... why didn't you tell me that in the first place? Who is it whose beauty outshines my Helen in your eyes? There could be no woman."<br>"As it just so happens, my intended is Penelope of Sparta. Perhaps you know of her."  
>He was dumbstruck for a moment, "Well this, this changes everything. Are you asking me for her hand? If so, then I give you my blessing, my boy! Now we'll need to discuss the division of territory, of course. Now, I think that the Spartan royal family ought to extend its borders beyond Sparta. It will give power to both of us and..."<br>I interrupted his fevered rambling, "We'll discuss no such thing. You have no power over Ithaca or Penelope. As you said, she is no niece of yours."  
>He sat there in shock for a while, before rising to his feet.<br>"How dare you! I will not take this insolence, not even from a king. You can't use such a... such a rash statement against me. Ithaca and Penelope are my property!"  
>"They are no such thing!"<br>"Now, I tried graciously offer you my daughter, but apparently the best is not good enough for you!"  
>"Your daughter is a drunk, and furthermore a vain little girl!"<br>He tried to strike me, but I grabbed him by the shoulders, pinning him down with one hand and drawing my sword with another.  
>"Now, listen. I'd hate to cut ties with Sparta. It is a powerful nation full of warriors, and it would not be easy to have you as an enemy..."<br>"Your damned right it is! You and your little Penelope are in for it now, boy! The minute you set foot in Ithaca, my army will-"  
>"But, if you threaten me, Ithaca, or Penelope EVER again..." my eye wandered out the window.<br>Clinging to the branches of the great black alder tree next to the palace was Penelope. She stared, wide eyed, at what was ensuing, biting her lip in anxiety. Their eyes locked and instantly she filled with fear.  
>Tyndareus took advantage of my momentary distraction and rushed to the window.<br>"What are you doing here?" he bellowed.  
>She just stood there, not knowing what to say<p>

"ANSWER ME!" he barked.

She was in shock, trembling in the branches, her sea colored eyes as big as saucers.

He charged toward the window and pulled her by the hair. I tried to stop him.

He then got a hold of her arm and tried to drag her from the branch and through the window.

He was twisting it farther and farther until she cried out and fell, clinging to the windowsill, and trying to pull herself up.  
>I quickly yanked her through the window, not thinking. Tyndareus pulled her away from me, sending her careening toward the stone wall with a thump.<br>She was pinned to the wall, holding her breath.  
>"HOW DARE YOU SPY ON ME!"<br>"I'm sorry, uncle," she whispered, obviously still shocked and terrified.  
>"Now, why were you in that tree?"<br>She was silent.  
>"Is this the first time, or have you been spying all this time."<br>She shook her head.  
>"DON'T LIE TO ME! Have you been spying on me all this time!"<br>She bit her lip, "Yes."  
>He reached out to hit her but she grabbed him by the wrist and twisted it around, shoving him away from her. She would explain to me later that all Spartan girls were trained to fight if need be.<br>"Why you little!-"  
>He used one hand to pin her once again to the wall and the other to try to hit her again.<br>No sooner had he done so that I grabbed him by the neck and yanked him away from her.  
>He whipped around, charging again, but I stood protectively in front of her.<br>"As I was saying. If you threaten me, Ithaca, or Penelope again, you will be at the mercy of the entire kingdom of Ithaca, and no doubt the entire Achaean nation. You know I can turn them against you. I have my ways."  
>He was about to charge, but suddenly stopped.<br>"I intend to marry Penelope, and I need neither your consent nor your blessing. And if you harm her, or me further, you'll make a powerful enemy."  
>He didn't reply. He only stood there, still processing what I had just said. I grabbed Penelope by the hand and led her out of the palace, and out of slavery, and out of Sparta.<p> 


End file.
